Excavating-machine.



M. E HOWARD. EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION mm mus 1914 just emerging from the MICHAEL E. HOWARD, OF INDlANAPoLl s INDIANA.

EXcAVATnvG-MACHINE.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed May 6, 1914. Serial No. 836,755.

To all uhomit may concern: 1

Be it known that I, MIcnAnL E. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in EX- cavating-lVlachines, of which-thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to excavating machines and its object is to provide means of an effective character for temporarily detaining an excavating bucket at the point of dumping and automatically releasing said bucket from said detaining means after the contents of the bucket have been dumped. -With these objects in view my invention is embodied in preferable form in the device hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of a part of an excavating apparatus showing a track cable, a bucket and bucket carrier withthe carrier and bucket shown in dotted lines in discharging position; Fig. 2, a detail vertical section partly broken away of the front part of the car rier and bucket; Fig. '3, a topplan view of the detaining member with the engaging pin of the cari'er shown as about to enter the spiral groove formed in the member; Fig. 4, a detail side view in elevation of the detaining member showing the carrier pin far end of the spiral groove of the member; Fig. 5, a top plan view showing the pin about to return through an adjacent spiral groove; Fig. 6,

' atop plan view showing the detaining member in the position it assumes when the carrier pin has moved back against the rear abutment wall thereof and the carrier is being held during the discharging action of the bucket: Fig. 7, a detail top plan view of the detaining member showing the carrier pin about to withdraw from engagement with the member; Fig. 8, a section on the line 88 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 9, a section on the line 99 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a slack cable adapted to constitute an inclined track on which the carrier 2 travels by means of rollers 3. livotcd at its rear end to this *carrier is an excavating basket 3. A draft line 4 has a branch 5 which connects with the lower end of the bucket and an upper branch 6 which passes down over'a pulley 7. on the carrier and under a pulley 8 on the bucket and thence upwardly to a pin 9 on the carrier to which the branch is connected. By means of these branches of the draft cable the bucket is adapted to be raised and lowered to and from the carrier to lift it to its proper excavating and load-carrying position and to release it when the contents are to be discharged. The draft cable also serves to pull the bucket along the track cable. r

The upper front arm 10 of the carrier is provided with a ve'i'ti'cal'stop pin 11, or similar engaging member; This pinis adapted to engage with the detaining m'e'mber to temporar-ily hold the bucketl's't'ationary at the point of discharge while the bucket is being dumped and to be 'automatically released from such engaging member after the contents of the bucket are discharged. This detaining member is mounted on the track cable adjacent the point where the bucket is to be dump( l and,it comprises a preferably cylindrical head or block 12 from which is adapted to be engaged by the pin in its return movement when the draft line is slaekened. The head of the carrier is provided with a central aperture 16 through which the track able passes and by means of "fivhich the detaining member is hung looselyfon 'the track cable so as to be capable of swinging around the same as an axis. This si'vinging -movement is determined bythe engagement of the stop pin rier w1th the spiral groove. The return groove 15 terminates at the front end of the block in a transverse abutment wall 17 against which the'stop pin is adapted to strike in the return movement ofthe carrier and bywhich said stop pin is held in position, owing to the back pressure of the loaded bucket. This wall 17 is tapered toward the throat or entrance of the receiving groove 14 to facilitate the disengagement of the detaining member and stop pin after the bucket has been dumped.

The operation of the device is as folof the car- IQO lows After the bucket has been loaded, it is drawnalong the track cable 1 by means of the draft line 4 and when the carrier reaches normal upright position.

the point of discharge the stop pin 11 will enter the throat of the receiving spiral groove 14, formed in the upper surface of the head of the detaining member. As the carrier continues in its movement the pin will traversethis groove thus turning the detaining member on its axis around the track cable and raising the weight of the extension member to a horizontal position until the pin reaches the end of the groove 14, whereupon the block will be released from the stop pin and will swing back to its At this time the draft cable will be released by the operator, thus permitting the carrier to move backwardly down the inclined track cable, and thereupon the stop pinwill enter the throat at the rear end of the return groove 15, again turning the block and lifting its weight but swinging the same on its axis in the direction opposite to the movement pre viously imparted thereto by the forward travel of the carrier. When the stop pin in this backward travel of the carrier reaches the end of the return groove 15, it will be carried forcibly against the rearwall l7 and the pressure of the loaded bucket will be sutlicient to hold the stop pin firmly in frictional enga'o ament with this wall. thus maintaining the block in horizontal position and preventing the return of the carrier. 1e continued release of the draft cable will permit the bucket to tilt on its pivot and thus discharge its contents, before the carrier has started back down the inclined cable. As soon as this action has taken place the bucket will be relieved of the greater part of its weight, thus removing the pressure of the stop pin against the abutment 17 of the detainin'g member and hence permitting said member to swing back to its normal vertical position owing to the weight of the depending extension 13. In

i this movement of the detaining member the abutment 1 '7 will be withdrawn from ongagement with the St01)"1311np011121tl1ng such pm to enter'the throat of the receiving groove 14-, thus releasing the stop pin from the detaining member and permitting the carrier and bucket to travel baclnvardly down theincli'ned cable 111 readiness for another excavating operation.

Ha ing thus described my invention, what cla 11s: i 1. h an excavating apparatus in combination with a track, a draft cable, a carrier,.

a bucket, frictionally holding means on the track forpdetannng the carrier temporarily at the place of discharge of the bucket contents, means on the carrier for engaging said detaining means, adapted to be held in engagement with said detaining means solely member to turn the latter out of the path of said means in. the for ard travel of the carrier and to frictionally engage said member in the initial return movement of the carrier, and means for swinging the said member out of holding position when the bucket contents are discharged, substantially as described.

3. In an excavating machine, in combination with an inclined slack track cable, a draft cable, a carrier, a bucket pivoted on the carrier, a pivotally movable block on said track cable, a stop member on said carrier adapted to move said block on its pivot to permit the stop member to pass beyond the same, means on said block to engage and hold said stop-member when the carrier moves back and a weight to swing the block free of said stop member when, the pressure of the latter is removed by the dischar e of the bucket contents, substantially as escribed.

41. In an excavating machine, in combination with an inclined track, a carrier mounted thereon, an excavating bucket pivoted to said carrier, a. draft cable connected to said bucket, a swinging detaining block mounted on said track, a member on said carrier adapted to engage said block, means on said block to permit said member to move past the block means thereon to engage said member upon slackening the draft cable and hold the carrier at the discharging point, and means to cause said blocktm-swing out ,of engagement with the carrier member, substantially as described.

5. In an excavating apparatus, in combination with an inclined track, a swinging block mounted thereon. ayiatrrier, an excavating bucket mounted on said carrier, at draft cable connected to said bucket, a block pngaging member carried by said carrier,

nation with an inclined track, a carrier, an

excavating bucket, a draft cable, a pin on said carrier, a swinging block on said track, sald block formed with pin detaining means,

)lock to upright position, sub-- memes means on said block to permit said pin to pass beyond said detaining means, means to swing said blow: by said pin on the return movement of the carrier to move said detaining means into engagement with said pin, and means to swing said block into releasin osltion u on In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, 10

this 2nd day (if-May, A. D. nineteen hundred and fourteen.

MICHAEL E. HOWA Witnesses H. P. DooLii'Tnn,

A. C. RICE. 

